Can I run a Tivo Premier XL4 without hooking it up to TV (Crazy...but with reason)

I live in a 1939 Lathe and Plaster home with a tiny crawl space and no attic...So getting CAT5 or CAT6 wiring to the Premier XL4 is nearly impossible (not sure how they got cable in their, but have had contractor after contractor out, and with out huge cost its a non-starter).

So, I want to move the Premier XL4 into my office closet with router, then use Tivo Mini's on all of my TV's. Just want to make sure that's possible before buying the mini's and getting the subscriptions.

How are you connecting the Mini to the Premier if you cannot run either coax or Ethernet? They do not work wirelessly.

The mini's are all connected with Coax via the Moca Bridge built into the Premiere. The issues is getting internet connection with the host (premiere). The Moca Adapter did not work -- an ethernet connection does, to expensive to get ethernet to the host.

Could I use a wireless bridge between my router and my host, and then use the host moca bridge (coax) to connect the minis?

I believe I have the Moca Adapter set up correctly. I followed the instructions that came with the adapter, then followed all the troubleshooting suggestions keep getting the following errors:

NO2, NO9, C1, C33 -- all at different times throughout the troubleshooting process.
It can't be the network because I never lose internet connectivity, and when I string a CAT6 cable through the hall to the Premiere it works.

I am sorry if I am missing something here but do you have the P4 connected to your cable system via coax? In order for the P4 tuner to get cable tv you have to have that connection otherwise there is nothing to record or watch. I apologize if I am misunderstanding your situation in advance. The mini can only see what the host is getting and if there is no video going into the host there is nothing for the mini. As I read your first entry it seems like you only have an ethernet connection from the router to the P4. I am not familar with moca but I believe you still need the coax connection to the P4 also. Maybe I am wrong and someone else can comment. Does your router have a coax pass thru and that is what you are using? Or is there coax already in the closet? Where is the cable modem and how did that get connected to the router?

dhoward-
I do have it hooked up to coax/cable. The problem was getting the Moca to work. The Moca adapters didn't work for me -- two attempts. I could get it to work with ethernet (cable strewn through my house to get it to the P4), but would be too expensive to rewaire my house.

I did solve the problem, in a way TIVO said wouldn't work ... wirelessly.

Thanks for all your input. I took a flyer to see if I could connect my P4 wirelessly to my network and still use the Mini's (creating a Moca network wirelessly).

TIVO told me it would not work. But, after talking to Apple (I uses Airport Extreme as my wireless router), was convinced it would work and it did.

Airport Express connects wirelessly to my home network, ethernet out from Express to P4. Create Moca connection using coax out on P4 (it is a Moca Bridge), then coax to each Mini...blazing fast, crystal clear picture, full functionality.

I would bet you need to hook it to a TV *to set it up*. I presume you can't do that over a Mini.

Also, Tivo may have said it "wouldn't work", but I think more accurately, it's not supported. That is, it might work, but if you have problems, don't go complaining to them.
(I used my Tivos over a Wifi bridge for a long time, and even used netflix streaming sometimes.)

Thanks for all your input. I took a flyer to see if I could connect my P4 wirelessly to my network and still use the Mini's (creating a Moca network wirelessly)

I don't think you have. I don't really see how it is possible to create a "Multimedia Over Coax" network wirelessly. You are using the P4 and a wireless bridge to wirelessly bridge your MOCA network to your Ethernet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcghee

TIVO told me it would not work. But, after talking to Apple (I uses Airport Extreme as my wireless router), was convinced it would work and it did.

I don't know what they told you wouldn't work. What is not supported is connecting the minis to the TiVos wirelessly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcghee

Airport Express connects wirelessly to my home network, ethernet out from Express to P4. Create Moca connection using coax out on P4 (it is a Moca Bridge), then coax to each Mini...blazing fast, crystal clear picture, full functionality.

And the only wireless portion is the Premieres connection to the router.

Why were you connecting a MOCA adapter to the XL4? It should be used to connect your cable to your router (actually to the built-in switch), bridging the two networks. Then you wouldn't need the wireless bridge.

As far as it being "nearly impossible" to run Cat5 cable - do you have no baseboards?

I can see by your responses you completely missunderstand the situation. I wasn't trying to create a Moca Wirelessly. Tivo did tell me "it will not work." I was not connecting the Moca adapter to the P4.

I can see by your responses you completely missunderstand the situation. I wasn't trying to create a Moca Wirelessly. Tivo did tell me "it will not work." I was not connecting the Moca adapter to the P4.

Re-read the post, then try being constructive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcghee

By the way, tried the Actiontec Moca adapter...two actually. They aren't working at all. Get 3 green lights, but Tivo what recognize them.

Which part of "Tivo what(sic) recognize them." did I misunderstand?

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcghee

Thanks for all your input. I took a flyer to see if I could connect my P4 wirelessly to my network and still use the Mini's (creating a Moca network wirelessly).

TIVO told me it would not work. But, after talking to Apple (I uses Airport Extreme as my wireless router), was convinced it would work and it did.

Airport Express connects wirelessly to my home network, ethernet out from Express to P4. Create Moca connection using coax out on P4 (it is a Moca Bridge), then coax to each Mini...blazing fast, crystal clear picture, full functionality.

Which part of "creating a Moca network wirelessly" did I misunderstand?